The Guardian

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UK struggles to reassure Ukraine after easing new sanctions on Russian oil

Diplomats mount salvage operation after ‘clumsy’ announcement upsets Kyiv

The UK was last night desperately trying to reassure Kyiv its new sanctions policy on Russia did not weaken restrictions, after Ukrainian officials warned the change could help Moscow fund its war efforts.

While Downing Street insisted the decision to allow the temporary import of Russian oil and jet fuel was only one element of a tougher overall sanctions package, a British minister conceded that the matter had been handled “clumsily”.

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UK radio station apologises for accidentally announcing king’s death

Announcement made due to computer error at Radio Caroline’s main studio in Essex

A radio station has apologised for “any distress caused” after accidentally announcing that King Charles had died.

The erroneous announcement was made on Tuesday afternoon due to a computer error at Radio Caroline’s main studio in Essex.

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San Francisco turns to AI to save whales from ship strikes as deaths soar

Climate change is pushing starving grey whales to San Francisco Bay, where ship strikes led to 40% of 21 deaths

Ferries, cargo ships and tankers cut through choppy waters in the San Francisco Bay on Tuesday as a whale surfaced nearby, its spout barely visible against the white caps. Until now, whales could easily go unnoticed by mariners, but an AI-powered detection network launched this week is designed to track them day and night.

The system, called WhaleSpotter, scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby.

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Israeli security minister stirs diplomatic outrage with flotilla activist abuse video

Far-right figure Itamar Ben-Gvir shares footage of himself taunting bound international detainees

Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has sparked a diplomatic crisis by publishing footage of Israeli security forces abusing international activists who were detained as they tried to sail to Gaza with aid.

There was a rapid and furious response from countries whose citizens were onboard the boats, including the UK, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Ireland, in many cases delivered in person from the top of government.

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Guardiola leaves Manchester City as one of the game’s greats – and someone who knows its dark heart | Barney Ronay

While there is no denying the magnitude of his achievements, his legacy is also tied up in politics, propaganda and hard power

Well, that’s that then. Put out more flags. Mount the iconic Jedi‑style woollen cardigan in the club museum. He really does seem to be done this time.

In the absence of formal denials, it now seems highly likely the scheduled final year of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City contract will be spent trawling the high-concept food ateliers of the Iberian peninsula, debating spatial architecture with a Slovenian Cluedo grandmaster over hummingbird martinis, and generally recharging after a decade of unceasing devotion to victory.

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Starmer’s top advisers knew about ‘indefensible’ journalists probe, documents reveal

PM’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, among aides briefed on investigation into reporters writing about Labour Together

Keir Starmer’s most senior advisers were briefed about an “indefensible” investigation into journalists writing critical pieces about the Labour Together thinktank, according to a newly released document.

Among the aides who received updates on the probe, commissioned by the thinktank’s director, Josh Simons, were Morgan McSweeney, the former chief of staff to the prime minister.

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White savior Lousje Sassen (ex-PowNed) vertrekt platzak naar Senegal, haalt 20.000 euro op voor lokaal bouwproject, legt project stil en maakt ruzie met locals

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Och, Lousje toch. Ze zat ooit bij PowNed en zat daarna in een psychose (many such cases), dook uiteindelijk weer op met Instagramfilmpjes waarin ze vertelde voor een appel en een ei in Portugal te werken terwijl ze regelmatig heen en weer vloog naar Nederland. Lousje legde onder andere vast dat ze platzak was (en alle Tikkies van familie en vrienden rond kerst niet kon betalen, oepsiefloepsie) omdat ze haar pinpas (!) had uitgeleend (!) aan een taxichauffeur (!) en OHJA ondertussen ook nog in de sluwe val van een snelgeldcursus was gevallen. Dit allemaal terwijl ze een videodagboek bijhield met de slagzin 'Ik wil over een jaar op wereldreis'. Ok millennial, precies wat je nodig hebt inderdaad. Vervolgens mocht ze van een campingeigenaar 2 maanden tussen de ezels wonen en via een samenwerking met een hip reisbureau (doen echt alles samen met de locals!) belandde Lousje in Senegal. 

Omdat Lousje in Senegal zó gelukkig was ('Ik houd van de Afrikaanse cultuur') bleef ze er hangen en ging ze wonen bij een lokale AirBnB, waar ze zich stortte op een groot renovatieproject, zich als projectmanager opwierp en onder haar volgers TWINTIGDUIZEND EURO ophaalde. The Little Baobab is vervallen, er is geen elektriciteit en de arme eigenaresse kan het allemaal niet meer behelpen. Gek verhaal, want in recente Google Reviews en Facebookberichten uit dezelfde periode blijkt dat er gewoon gasten verblijven die het reuze naar hun zin hebben. Dat de man van Khady 5 jaar geleden overleed, zoals in de video hierboven wordt beweerd, lijkt ook niet te kloppen (hij stierf in 2017). Het begon allemaal zo leuk. Een beetje vlogjes maken van hoe anderen de locals dak repareerden terwijl Lousje lekker mocht ontwikkelingsfluencen. Tussenstand: Lousje heeft het project STILGELEGD want ze 'is achter dingen gekomen' en heeft ruzie met de locals. Eigenaresse Khady en de ex-Powned-ster spreken elkaar tegen bij Reality FBI. Onduidelijkheid over de voortgang van het project, de rol van 'projectmanager' Lousje na het afronden van de renovatie, en vooral over die 20.000 euro. 

Ook van het veiligheidsgevoel in Senegal waar Lousje aanvankelijk lovend over was lijkt weinig over. En dat terwijl West-Afrika zo bekendstaat om de veiligheid van vrouwen! (1 rondje googelen: Lousje bevindt zich in een streek van Senegal waar een probleem als meisjesbesnijdenis aardig hardnekkig is.) Het lijkt wel alsof het niet een heel goed idee is om naar een voor jou onbekend land in Afrika te trekken, daar met jan en alleman zaken te gaan doen en daar ook nog eens bakken met andermans geld voor te vragen. Nou Lous, succes en vergeet de afloop niet te vloggen!

Dag 1

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Waar we nu zijn

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Invloedrijke Europarlementariër Bas Eickhout (Pro) vertrekt: hij meldde relaties op de werkvloer niet

Europarlementariër Bas Eickhout, een kopstuk van de Europese Groenen en voormalig Europees lijsttrekker van GroenLinks-PvdA stopt per direct. Naar eigen zeggen had hij relaties op de werkvloer „die niet passen” bij zijn rol.

Werk van de grote gezelschappen domineert weer de keuze van de Nederlandse Toneeljury als beste theater van afgelopen seizoen

Tien voorstellingen zijn door de Nederlandse Toneeljury genoemd als de meest indrukwekkende van het afgelopen theaterseizoen. De grote gezelschappen en vrouwelijke makers voeren de boventoon. Volgens de jury geeft de selectie aan hoe „breed, verrassend én geëngageerd het podiumkunstaanbod in Nederland is”.

Slashdot

News for nerds, stuff that matters

Regional Winners of Prestigious Literary Prize Suspected of Using Chatbots

The 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize is facing backlash after several winning entries were accused of being AI-generated, with one Caribbean winner's story flagged as fully AI-written by a detector that WIRED says it independently confirmed. From the report: Each year, the Commonwealth Foundation, a nongovernmental organization in London, awards its short story prize to one writer in each of five regions: Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. One overall winner is then selected from that short list. Regional winners take home [about $3,350], while the top winner, to be announced next month, claims [about $6,700]. On May 12, the respected UK literary magazine Granta published the top five 2026 entries -- all previously unpublished, per the rules of the contest -- on its website. (It has hosted the winning submissions for the prize since 2012.) Within days, however, one entry aroused suspicion. "The Serpent in the Grove," a story by Jamir Nazir of Trinidad and Tobago, which had taken honors for the Caribbean region, struck a few people as bearing the stylistic tells of AI-generated text.

"Well, this is a first: a ChatGPT-generated story won a prestigious literary prize," wrote researcher and entrepreneur Nabeel S. Qureshi, a former visiting scholar of AI at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, in a post on X on Monday. "'Not X, not Y, but Z' sentences everywhere, the 'hums' trope, and plenty of other obvious markers of AI writing. A major milestone for AI, at any rate..." "They say the grove still hums at noon," Nazir's mysterious and atmospheric tale begins. In his screenshot of the opening paragraphs, Quereshi highlighted the second line as what he considered to be a signature example of AI syntax: "Not the bees' neat industry or the clean rasp of cutlass on vine, but a belly sound -- as if the earth swallows a shout and holds it there."

As the literary community undertook a closer read of Nazir's story, many criticized its language and metaphors as nonsensical, wondering how the Commonwealth judges could have seen any merit to them. Others shared screenshots showing that the AI-detection tool Pangram flagged "The Serpent in the Grove" as 100 percent AI-generated, a result that WIRED independently confirmed. (While no AI-detection software is perfect, third-party analysis has consistently determined Pangram to be the most accurate, with a near-zero rate of false positives.)

[...] Besides Nazir, two more winning authors have drawn allegations of using AI in their work. Pangram finds that "The Bastion's Shadow," by Maltese writer John Edward DeMicoli, winner for the Canada and Europe region, is fully AI-generated; it scans "Mehendi Nights," by Indian writer Sharon Aruparayil, winner for the Asia region, as partly AI-generated. Neither DeMicoli nor Aruparayil immediately returned requests for comment when reached through their respective social media accounts. The other two short-listed stories, by Holly Ann Miller of New Zealand and Lisa-Anne Julien of South Africa, deliver "fully human-written" results from Pangram. Wired also reports that one of the judges for the prize has been "accused of using AI to craft her descriptive blurb that accompanied the listing of 'The Serpent in the Grove' as a regional winner.'" Pangram labels the text as "AI-assisted."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

V.I.P.

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

V.I.P.

Found Photograph

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Found Photograph

Coming Together

Greg Adams Photography posted a photo:

Coming Together

VK: Voorpagina

Volkskrant.nl biedt het laatste nieuws, opinie en achtergronden

Tv-ecoloog Sterrin Smalbrugge doet biologie: ‘De meikever was een fantastische keuze’

Defensie wekt nog niet de verwachting dat de Rekenkamer volgend jaar enthousiaster is

Carolina Bianchi staat weer op het Nederlands Theater Festival, in een opvallend geëngageerde editie

Vervelend, maar hoppa, accepteren dat dingen soms anders lopen dan gepland!

Wel.nl

Minder lezen, Meer weten.

COA maakt voorwaarden voor voorrang opvang Ter Apel bekend

TER APEL (ANP) - Het Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers (COA) heeft woensdagavond bekendgemaakt aan welke specifieke voorwaarden asielzoekers moeten voldoen om voorrang te krijgen tot de overvolle opvanglocatie in Ter Apel.

Bekend was al dat "kwetsbaren" als eerste worden toegelaten. Het COA specificeert dat alleenstaande minderjarigen prioriteit krijgen, net als mensen met "medische indicaties" en "kwetsbaarheidsindicaties". Onder die laatste categorie vallen lhbti-personen, zwangeren, gezinnen en personen die in gevaar komen door eerwraak. Mensen die "niet kwetsbaar" zijn, krijgen op volgorde van aanmelding een plaats aangeboden.

Woensdagochtend werd bekend dat het COA "gecontroleerde toegang" invoert op die opvanglocatie vanwege de ruime overbezetting. Volgens het COA vindt "de beoordeling van kwetsbaarheid" overdag plaats door de IND. In de nacht neemt de COA-nachtopvang die taak over.


The AI botnets cannot be stopped

I am constantly getting scrape attempts for avatar-image-JPEG URLs that have not existed on my blog since a restructuring in 2022. They come in bursts of about a 100 per minute, each from a different IP address, and in random order.

I thought: enough is enough, I need to figure out what clown service these are coming from and start blocking whole networks.

Nope, they're almost all from cable modems, not from hosting facilities:

49.43.169.105	"55836 | IN | apnic | 2010-10-27 | RELIANCEJIO-IN Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, IN" 49.36.222.165	"55836 | IN | apnic | 2010-10-27 | RELIANCEJIO-IN Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, IN" 49.207.199.34	"24309 | IN | apnic | 2004-12-08 | CABLELITE-AS-AP Atria Convergence Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Broadband Internet Service Provider INDIA, IN" 60.254.88.85	"17488 | IN | apnic | 2000-11-28 | HATHWAY-NET-AP Hathway IP Over Cable Internet, IN" 14.176.188.15	none 113.181.115.52	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 222.252.180.57	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.191.68.81	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 203.162.75.165	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.166.25.40	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.234.181.48	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.232.16.94	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.226.156.45	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.186.56.201	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 123.27.88.193	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 123.24.165.158	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 123.23.84.13	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.173.75.211	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.254.59.191	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.247.93.88	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 134.122.23.167	"14061 | US | arin | 2012-09-25 | DIGITALOCEAN-ASN - DigitalOcean, LLC, US" 113.184.185.188	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.170.114.205	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.236.40.167	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.170.244.63	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.165.28.93	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 163.223.48.0	"138797 | IN | apnic | 2019-02-11 | COASTAL-AS-IN Coastal Broadband And Online Services Pvt. Ltd., IN" 58.249.137.74	"17622 | CN | apnic | 2001-01-18 | CNCGROUP-GZ China Unicom Guangzhou network, CN" 39.68.1.38	"4837 | CN | apnic | 2001-09-17 | CHINA169-BACKBONE CHINA UNICOM China169 Backbone, CN" 14.191.63.98	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.168.114.54	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.161.135.60	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.228.183.221	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.177.130.34	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.236.8.100	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 144.31.35.211	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 14.230.66.236	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.166.3.113	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 143.20.253.201	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 14.172.46.240	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.191.87.248	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.240.145.79	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 171.250.165.14	"7552 | VN | apnic | 2002-10-08 | VIETEL-AS-AP Viettel Group, VN" 14.230.54.62	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.180.27.31	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 177.137.214.144	"263087 | BR | lacnic | 2012-04-18 | Rawnet Informatica LTDA, BR" 120.140.8.61	"4788 | MY | apnic | 1996-10-20 | TTSSB-MY TM TECHNOLOGY SERVICES SDN. BHD., MY" 49.37.213.156	"55836 | IN | apnic | 2010-10-27 | RELIANCEJIO-IN Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, IN" 216.75.132.173	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 144.31.35.77	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 216.75.132.173	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 216.75.132.173	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 144.31.35.77	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 144.31.35.77	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 216.75.132.173	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 216.75.132.173	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 143.20.253.246	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 143.20.253.246	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 14.169.142.16	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.190.135.174	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.165.212.210	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.165.39.79	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.254.166.139	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.170.190.94	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 123.31.236.195	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.175.2.197	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.245.142.32	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.168.130.126	none 14.234.120.102	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.187.7.237	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.169.200.172	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.187.7.158	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 222.253.132.0	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.179.243.6	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.189.84.206	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.189.125.112	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 123.27.175.238	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.179.139.90	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 216.75.132.167	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 216.75.132.167	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 14.191.192.133	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 216.75.132.212	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 207.180.11.239	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 207.180.11.239	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 113.186.16.134	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.170.25.114	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.229.9.235	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.188.28.166	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 123.16.224.122	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.173.194.120	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.239.74.25	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.239.32.210	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 14.177.207.17	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 113.173.255.127	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 144.31.35.232	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US" 181.213.41.191	"28573 | BR | lacnic | 2003-11-27 | Claro NXT Telecomunicacoes Ltda, BR" 113.182.199.97	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 88.235.232.128	"9121 | TR | ripencc | 1998-12-29 | TTNET, TR" 181.191.153.5	"267488 | BR | lacnic | 2017-08-17 | Pronet Construcoes LTDA, BR" 211.241.113.62	"9316 | KR | apnic | 1998-06-03 | DACOM-PUBNETPLUS-AS-KR DACOM-PUBNETPLUS, KR" 152.58.183.66	"55836 | IN | apnic | 2010-10-27 | RELIANCEJIO-IN Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, IN" 59.184.62.53	"9829 | IN | apnic | 2000-01-19 | BSNL-NIB National Internet Backbone, IN" 14.164.166.200	"45899 | VN | apnic | 2009-08-28 | VNPT-AS-VN VNPT Corp, VN" 152.57.115.213	"55836 | IN | apnic | 2010-10-27 | RELIANCEJIO-IN Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, IN" 49.34.210.1	"55836 | IN | apnic | 2010-10-27 | RELIANCEJIO-IN Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, IN" 1.246.164.57	"9318 | KR | apnic | 1998-06-03 | SKB-AS SK Broadband Co Ltd, KR" 31.223.92.91	"12735 | TR | ripencc | 1999-10-18 | ASTURKNET, TR" 103.66.177.245	"135578 | BD | apnic | 2016-06-18 | DIT-AS-AP Muhammad Nasir ta Dhaka Information Technology, BD" 152.42.242.171	"14061 | US | arin | 2012-09-25 | DIGITALOCEAN-ASN - DigitalOcean, LLC, US" 143.20.253.31	"401560 | US | arin | 2025-01-03 | ONECABLE - OneCable Network LLC, US"

Previously, previously, previously, previously, previously.

kottke.org

Jason Kottke's weblog, home of fine hypertext products

How to Make a Living as an Artist

Contemporary pop artist fnnch’s essay on How to Make a Living as an Artist is pretty great. Lots in here that resonates with my experience of turning a creative hobby (KDO) into a business.

Most people who enjoy making art should not try to make it their full time job. When you turn an avocation (hobby) into a vocation (job) you have to do new things you do not enjoy. Emails, events, meetings, accounting, and more. These are not only a drag but can actually strip the joy from the rest of your art practice.

Even the work itself can become a burden because you now have to make it. Amateurs can wait for inspiration; professionals must create every day.

If you enjoy making art, ask yourself why that is not enough? Why do you need to make money from this activity? Why do you need to do it with more of your time? Can it not perhaps give you more joy remaining a hobby?

I have played the drums for many years, and while I was once tempted to go pro, I have always resisted. Drumming is a refuge for me. A joy. An escape. I play when I want. I don’t play when I don’t want. This is no longer true for my painting. Beware. Think hard.

And:

Making your challenge more difficult is that artists are usually not just entrepreneurs but solopreneurs. There is rarely enough money in art to support even a single person, so we do not get to specialize as one might in high tech entrepreneurship, in which it is totally common to have one co-founder focus on product and another on sales. Most people, at least at first, must do it all. Most artists do not want to do it all. They want to just make art. I am sorry. Some people have a gallery or life partner who acts as a business partner. But most of the time, there is no one to help you. You must think about your art practice as a business.

Image: paintings of various honey bears by fnnch.

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